'Real Housewife' Caroline Manzo gets real with new book

Caroline Manzo expands on no-nonsense approach to life in 'Let Me Tell You Something: Life as a Real Housewife, Tough-Love Mother, and Street-Smart Businesswoman."

In this Wednesday, April 4, 2012, file photo, Caroline Manzo attends the Bravo network 2012 upfront presentation in New York. Manzo, the brash star of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" has a deal for "Let Me Tell You Something," in which she will give life lessons on family, friendship and long-term happiness.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

This book cover image released by It Books shows "Let Me Tell You Something: Life as a Real Housewife, Tough-Love Mother, and Street-Smart Businesswoman," by Caroline Manzo. Manzo's book was released on Tuesday, March 26.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

For all the table-flipping, name-calling and screaming on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” there is a voice of reason among the cast. That belongs to Caroline Manzo, a straight shooter, happily married mother of three grown children.

Manzo certainly holds her own in a battle, but for the most part, she seems irritated, if not bored, by the drama among her cast mates. One thing is evident: When Manzo speaks, everyone listens.

The 51-year-old reality star has expanded on her no-nonsense approach to life with a new book, “Let Me Tell You Something: Life as a Real Housewife, Tough-Love Mother, and Street-Smart Businesswoman,” written with Kevin Dickson and published by It Books. In in an interview, Manzo talked about her book, family life and reality TV.

Q: Why did you decide to write a book?

I got the idea from the viewers. They ask me the same questions over and over again, and it’s: How do you manage to have three great children? How do you manage to have a close family, long marriage, happy marriage, backbone? How is it being in the public eye? All I can say is what I’ve done in my life and that for me was the best way to answer the questions through little anecdotes about my life.

Q: You can tell on the show that you’re very close with your family. Did you notice right away that people were very interested in knowing how you achieved that?

To this very moment I’m puzzled by the reaction to me and my family because I’m finding more and more that people find it unusual, and it should be normal, and that’s what puzzles me. Why am I unusual? Why is my bond with my children abnormal? And that’s what I find interesting.

Q: Why do you think so many people feel disconnected from their families?

I think today a lot of parents worry that you lose “my time.” You kind of lost that when you decided to become a parent. I always say you can’t press “Rewind.” When you make the decision to become a parent, you have to dedicate pretty much your life, or a good portion of it, to that child. “Listen, I worked all day with this kid, when the husband comes home, it’s your turn, I don’t want to be bothered with the baby anymore.” What? What? Doesn’t work like that. And I think that’s where the disconnect comes from, because most parents today see it as a chore. It’s a blessing, it’s not a chore.

Q: This book isn’t a tell-all. Did some people think you should make it one?

There are some people along the way that said, “It would sell more copies.” Well, that to me is not success. I want the book to sell because people want to hear what I had to say about things and are truly interested in learning about me and my family and the process of being on “Housewives,” which I talk about. I don’t bash anyone. I tell little behind-the-scenes anecdotes about “Housewives.” To say that something is a success because you were negative about somebody is not the way I operate.

Q: Viewers who watch “The Real Housewives” think they know you because it’s a reality show. Do they really?

I would say the viewers have a pretty good handle of who we are as people. However, you don’t know all sides of us. We are each multifaceted individuals, so you see one angle of us; you don’t see everything.